A Survey of the Processing and Chemical Composition of Gariss Produced by Nomadic Camel Women Herders in Al Gaderif State , Sudan

Abstract

Gariss is the most popular stable food for the camel herders who depend on Gariss for the sustainability of their livestock. The objective of the current study is to assess the traditional fermented camel milk (Gariss) prepared by nomadic camel woman herders in AlGadarif State in Butana. It is also meant to improve the quality of camel milk products through sharing knowledge. The samples (n= 19) were collected during rainy and dry seasons. The nomad’s housekeepers were interviewed in the study area. The effect of different types of containers and the additives used during Gariss preparation and the compositional quality were all estimated. The survey reported the different types of spoilage and the variations in the shelf life of Gariss. When compared with the mean values of the Gariss samples collected during dry season, the result indicated that the values of the total solids and the pH of the samples collected during the rainy season were significantly higher (p<0.05), whereas the values of the fat, protein and ash were significantly lower (p<0.05). The container types had a significant (p<0.05) effect on the total solids, fat and ash content only. The Gariss prepared in Bukhsa showed the highest total solids content (13.15±0.54%) and that prepared in stainless steel showed the highest fat (4.65± 0.34%) content. However, when Gariss was prepared in plastic containers it showed the lowest pH value (3.59±0.16%), whereas samples from ‘‘Siin’’ (goat leather) was significantly lower (p<0.05) in the ash content (0.35± 0.09%). The present study concludes that the chemical composition of Gariss from the nomadic camel women herders is affected by seasons, types of additives and containers used. Hence more studies are needed to be done on the effect of the additive and containers on Gariss quality.